After a frustrating delay, Tarot in Wonderland is finally shipping and making its way into the hands of curious seekers everywhere.

Do all authors have a love/hate relationship with reviews. Maybe not all, but I sure do. I really like this review by the smart and creative Benebell Wen (it particularly makes me happy that she recognizes Eugene's other art). You can read it HERE.

But now my mind is turning to the next project. Have I shown you a picture of the art yet? It is too early to discuss much but a little teaser never hurt anyone, right? Meet your next Queen of Cups.

One of the most difficult aspects of creating this deck is that Alice really has so many difficult and strange adventures but very few happy ones. This made designing some of the pleasant cards more challenging, including this one. But the ending of Wonderland, when Alice wakes all cozy and safe at home does quite nicely, don't you think?

10 of Pentacles

Through the Looking Glass
In the text, Alice’s sister is mentioned, but not any other family specifically. Instead, Dinah, Snowball, and Kitty are her closest companions from this world that show up in the stories. In Wonderland, Alice’s sister imagines what waking world sounds inspired Alice’s dream. In Looking Glass, Alice does her own analysis, perhaps showing that she is indeed growing up and becoming more self-reflective.

Alice talks to the kittens as if they are people, trying to find answers to some of the questions that plague her. “‘Now, Kitty, let’s consider who it was that dreamed it all. This is a serious question, my dear, and you should not go on licking your paw like that—as if Dinah hadn’t washed this morning!. You see, Kitty, it must have been either me or the Red King. He was part of my dream, of course—but then I was part of his dream, too! Was it the Red King, Kitty? You were his wife, my dear, so you ought to know—Oh, Kitty, do help to settle it! I’m sure your paw can wait!’ But the provoking kitten only began on the other paw, and pretended it hadn’t heard the question.” No matter how many unanswered questions Alice has and no matter how often the cats will not do as she asks, Alice is safe, comfortable, and loved in the drawing room by the fire.

Down the Rabbit Hole
In a reading, this card shows the gifts of a stable and loving family, the value of legacy, and the comfort of tradition. While we know all too well that family often brings obligations and dysfunctions that we’d rather do without, we also know that our ancestors and our current families also benefit us. This card reminds you to value those benefits, to honor them within your own life. Throughout this suit we’ve seen out the material and spiritual worlds are bound together. This is true here, too. Material and spiritual stability and life are important gifts that family members give each other. If this is not true in your life, this card asks you to change that.

This is one of the first images Eugene created for this deck and I just love the perspective. While we all love Pixie's compositions in the RWS deck, changing the angle of a scene can make a static moment more dynamic. Plus, the Hanged Man does remind us of the importance of seeing things from different points of view.

7 of Wands

Through the Looking Glass
During the trial of the Knave of Hearts, Alice is ordered to leave the courtroom because, according to Rule 42, newly penned by the King, “all persons more than a mile high to leave the court.” Alice stands up for herself, claiming she is not a mile high. A short time later, she proclaims, “Stuff and nonsense!...The idea of having the sentences first!” when the Queen insists that sentences come before verdicts. The Queen orders Alice to be beheaded and for the first time when so ordered, nobody moves. “‘Who cares for you?’ said Alice (she had grown to her full size by this time). ‘You are nothing but a pack of cards!’”

“At this the whole pack rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her…and [she] tried to beat them off….” Alice wasn’t afraid because she was filled with the strength of her convictions. She knew she was right and wasn’t going to be cowed by a ruthless Queen and ineffectual King. Once she realized her own power, she was able to face those who had become her enemies. In the text, this is when she wakes from her dream. If, as many believe, this story is about growing up, Alice has reached a stage of maturity where she knows right from wrong and knows that she must defend her values.

Down the Rabbit Hole
In a reading, this card describes a situation where you must take a stand against what feels like incredible odds. As the chaos swirls around, you keep your balance and your head by keeping true to your ideals and fighting for what is right. Just as Alice wakes before we learn the outcome of her fight, this card does not guarantee victory. The important thing is to defend the truth as you see it. That matters more than winning. Hold tight to your convictions and tap into your deepest reserves of courage and face all comers with integrity.

It is common to use "happy" or "positive" cards in blogs, especially when they are trying to promote the deck. But to be honest, I find the ones that portray those harder moments of human life to be more poignant and interesting. This is one of those cards.

4 of Cups

Through the Looking Glass
The Mock Turtle is one of the saddest creatures in the text. “…Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She pitied him deeply. ‘What is his sorrow?’ she asked the Gryphon. And the Gryphon answered, very nearly in the same words as before, ‘It’s all his fancy, that: he hasn’t got no sorrow, you know…’” We never really know why he is so sad, except that he used to be a real turtle. We don’t know how or why he became a Mock Turtle. This chapter, in fact, leaves a lot of questions unanswered and many Carroll lovers dissatisfied. Many who’ve analyzed the story say that this part lacks the richness of the rest of the story. It is entertaining and clever, but it’s all sizzle and no steak. Which makes the Mock Turtle an even more appropriate choice for this card.

If grief or heartbreak are not processed, they become a pointless cycle, leading nowhere. There is no transformation or redemption. Even the fishes in Wonderland value having a purpose. “‘They were obliged to have him [the porpoise] with them,’ the Mock Turtle said, ‘No wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.’” In this card, the Mock Turtle has forgotten his own wise advice, as we often do when we are in the depths of despair.

Down the Rabbit Hole
In a reading, this card shows someone who is unhappy, disengaged, and lackadaisical. This is not a card of mourning nor of heartbreak, although either of those emotions could have been the starting point. When we hold our emotions tightly, rather than letting them flow to be experienced and processed, they stagnate. Like the Mock Turtle, you’ve dwelt too long in the past. You’ve held on too long to some slight or some disappointment, and now it has transformed and filled your heart and mind with ennui. You are dissatisfied with what you have. You cannot see any fresh possibilities even though they are right under your nose. The card does not indicate whether you shake this off or keep stewing, so it is completely your choice.

This card worked out so nicely. It includes elements from a scene in the text (I use "text" to refer to the combined works, both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass) that fits in really nicely with the traditional RWS composition.

2 of Swords

Through the Looking Glass
“‘In that direction,’ the Cat said, waving its right paw round, ‘lives a Hatter: and in that direction,’ waving the other paw, ‘lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.’”
This is the Cheshire Cat’s advice to Alice when she asks for directions. She isn’t sure where she wants to go, “as long as I get somewhere,” she says. With this information, she weighs her options. She’s seen a hatter before, so that choice is less interesting. Since the month is May, perhaps the Hare won’t be “so mad as it was in March.” As she approaches the Hare’s house, she second guesses her choice, “Suppose it should be raving mad after all! I almost wish I’d gone to see the Hatter instead!”

As it turns out, the Hatter was at the Hare’s and they are both behaving pretty madly. All Alice can do is make the best of it, try to get out of the situation unscathed, and learn whatever lessons she can. In the end, we are all glad she made the decision she did because the Mad Tea Party is one of the most well-known chapters from Wonderland.

Down the Rabbit Hole
In a reading, this card shows a situation where a decision must be made, and it also gives advice about how to make that decision. In many cases, tarot suggests listening to our intuition and values what we think of as “other ways of knowing.” However, the suit of Swords is about logic and reason. Alice sits with her back toward the ocean and the moon, both symbols of the subconscious and intuition. She is blindfolded so that she doesn’t look for more input. She is alone with what she already knows and using that information must make her choice. You already have all the facts that you need. Use your reason, weigh the pros and cons, and make your decision. Waiting for more input is just a way to procrastinate. Neither choice may be optimal and putting off the decision will not change that.

Keywords: needing to make a decision, insufficient data, lack of facts, denial, feeling conflicted, head and heart in opposition

Another of my favorite cards from this deck is the Queen of Pentacles. I was always so intrigued by the Sheep's shop, and as a knitter and someone who thinks sheep are wonderful, and as a fellow Pentacles creature myself, it would be hard for me not to love this card.

​Queen of Pentacles

Through the Looking Glass
The Sheep shop owner is our Queen of Pentacles. Her store is so filled with things that Alice can barely focus. Not only that, but the items behave so strangely, and yet the Sheep is not bothered at all. Even when Alice’s shopping is interrupted by a dreamlike boat trip that ends with them both back in the shop, the Sheep continues knitting and only asks, as if nothing had happened, “Now, what do you want to buy?” After Alice decides to buy an egg, the Sheep takes Alice’s money and tells her get her egg herself. “I never put things into people’s hands—that would never do—you must get it for yourself.” Alice doesn’t understand why it would never do, but the Sheep, our Queen of Pentacles, knows that it is better for people to reach for their desires on their own. She is happy to help, but doing things for Alice isn’t the best way to help. The Sheep is from the “teach a man to fish” school of supporting others.

Down the Rabbit Hole
In a reading, the Queen of Pentacles understands the physical world and is a master of material things. Using whatever resources are at hand, she can make almost anything she needs. She is a canny businessperson but isn’t known for greediness. Because she has made her own way in the world, she understands true value. Lessons are learned through experience and the Queen of Pentacles will happily help you gain that experience but she isn’t giving anything away. She’ll encourage you to figure things out but will not let you fail; she’ll step in to save the day when necessary. It’s likely, because of that you’ll never make that same mistake again. Gain her friendship and aid by appealing to her practical side, ask her to teach you, and be willing to roll up your sleeves and get dirty, if need be.

Most of us have a favorite court card or two. But when asked to pick our favorite card(s) in the deck, rarely (in my experience) are court cards selected. In this deck, though, there are a couple of court cards that fall into my "favorites" of this deck. The White Knight (some say Lewis Carroll himself) as the Knight of Cups is very dear to my heart.

​Knight of Cups

Through the Looking Glass
We’ve already met this wonderfully sweet knight in the Hermit card. The White Knight is a very apt Knight of Cups, with his dreamy idealism. When Alice seems sad, he says, “let me sing you a song to comfort you.” Alice, who had heard a great deal of poetry already asked if it was long. He replies, “It’s long, but it’s very, very beautiful. Everybody that hears me sing it—either it brings the tears into their eyes or else….” trailing off midsentence, as a true dreamer of dreams and singer of sad songs is wont to do.

Alice’s reaction to him is the very description of a Knight of Cups character: “Of all the strange things that Alice saw in her journey Through the Looking-Glass, this was the one that she always remembered most clearly. Years afterwards she could bring the whole scene back again, as if it had been only yesterday—the mild blue eyes and the kindly smile of the Knight—the setting sun gleaming through his hair, and shining on his armour in a blaze of light that quite dazzled her—the horse quietly moving about, with the reins hanging loose on his neck, cropping the grass at her feet—and the black shadows of the forest behind—all this she took in like a picture, as, with one hand shading her eyes, she leant against a tree, watching the strange pair, and listening, in a half-dream, to the melancholy music of the song.”

Down the Rabbit Hole
In a reading, this Knight represents someone sweet, creative, and dreamy. Like the other knights, he does focus intensely on his goal but because he lives in a kind of between worlds state, we can’t always “see” or understand what he is doing, consequently, it is easy for him to be misunderstood. Luckily, he is more concerned with whatever he is working on to care much what others think about him. If you want to catch his attention, appeal to his commitment to the kind of truth he values…the “truth is beauty” kind not necessarily “these are the facts” kind. Show him how his participation can really help someone in need or serve a greater ideal. Don’t expect things from him that he can’t give. He’ll never be a take-charge person or a natural leader but he will be a true friend and support you with every bit of his vast heart.

One of the interesting aspects of creating this is that it is not “an Alice in Wonderland” deck. In other words, it is not made by matching scenes from the stories to the cards. It is truly Tarot in Wonderland…and (as the book is called) Wonderland in Tarot. The images come from the place where these two sacred texts meet and mingle. Sometimes, if appropriate, the scenes are directly from the stories. At other times, the characters from the stories find themselves in tradition tarot card scenes.Judgement is one of those cards whose image isn’t from the story but rather a blending of Wonderland and tarot.
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​XX, Judgement

Through the Looking Glass
Like several other cards in the tarot deck, this one could do with a new name. “Judgement” as a name implies being judged. In addition, the traditional imagery—angel sounding a horn and dead people rising from their graves—suggests the biblical story of the Last Judgment, where all people, living and dead, would be judged. Maybe centuries ago the card was interpreted in this way. However, as human consciousness evolves, so too does our understanding of the cards. It is now more common to recognize that this card is a gift and an opportunity.

In Wonderland, particularly in Tenniel’s iconic illustrations, the playing card people (other than the royalty cards) are shown as flat, as if they are actually made of cardstock. In some ways, they are metaphors for two-dimensional people. In this image, they hear the White Rabbit’s trumpet. As they respond, they find themselves filling out and, like Pinocchio, becoming real three-dimensional people. They are, in short, coming to life…or more accurately to new life, since they were already alive in some sense of the word.

The White Rabbit in the sky takes the place of the tradition angel. In Wonderland, he plays the role of herald during the Knave of Heart’s trial. Heralds were, among other things, the messengers of the nobility. They were sometimes experts in law or known for giving moral guidance, which explains why, in the text, the Rabbit is able to take control of the proceedings of the trial, even to the point of contradicting the king. He was a voice that represented an order that was higher than earthly jurisdiction.

During the trial, Alice waits, curious about the next witness to be called. “Imagine her surprise, when the White Rabbit read out, at the top of his shrill little voice, the name ‘Alice!’” When she takes the stand, the story reaches its climax and ends with Alice asserting her will and her sense of what is meaningful in the face of nonsense and violence. The White Rabbit did not only call Alice to the stand; he called her to become the person she knew she should be.

Down the Rabbit Hole
In a reading, Judgement marks an invitation to hear a higher voice, perhaps your preferred deity or your own higher self, and follow its call. You have the opportunity to leave behind an old life and embrace a new way of living. Humans, though, are resistant to change and try to ignore this call, especially if their old life was not so bad. It is even harder to change your ways if your current life is actually good and comfortable. Plus, answering this call means a kind of death, since you will be leaving some parts of you, some behaviors, some beliefs behind. A call like this, though, resonates deeply in the heart and unless you shut down your heart entirely, you won’t be able to resist it forever. After you begin living in this new way, when you look back on your old life, you will see that it was a kind of half life, a cardboard life, a life lacking depth and dimension.

Hello friends!
Tarot in Wonderland, illustrated by Eugene Smith, will be available in mid- to late April. Sadly it is stuck on a boat between here and China and will be a little late…just another Trickster experience that has been part of this deck from the beginning. In fact, it has been so delayed for so many reasons from the beginning that it is dedicated to Hermes, my favorite expression of the Trickster.

Even though the subject matter is whimsical and supposedly nonsensical, it is one of my deepest decks yet. Having loved Carrol’s work from childhood through writing innumerable papers on it in college, this deck was a joy to create.

Part of the fun was exploring the similarities between tarot and the Alice stories. Some topics discussed in the book include: identity, searching for wisdom, and opposites.

Another direction we consider is reading mundane things as sacred texts. Below is an excerpt from the book explaining this idea. Below that is an excerpt about the Hierophant, a suitable match to go with a discussion about sacred texts.

I hope you enjoy this and ultimately, the deck.

Tarot in Wonderland

Sacred Texts
Many spiritual paths have sacred texts. Christians have their Bible; Muslims, the Quran. Many pagans say that the earth is their sacred text. I do not think that a sacred text must be ordained or approved by any organization. You can have your own sacred text. Witches have their Books of Shadows, where they write all the important things that they learn as well as their spells. It is their personal sacred text. Many tarot readers consider their decks as an unbound sacred book that can be shuffled to provide wisdom about any situation. Vanessa Zoltan and Casper ter Kuile created the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast in order to read a series that they love as a sacred text.

According to Zoltan and ter Kuile, one defining characteristic of a sacred text is that it is generative. What they mean is the work is not static but continually provides new and insightful information. This is one reason that tarot readers love their cards. Tarot readers can use a deck for years and yet still see something new in the cards. Not only that, but consider this: we do not have a single complete existing original tarot deck and yet throughout the centuries we continue to create more decks that show the wisdom of the cards in different ways. Even decks with similar themes are all still unique from each other. There are lots of cat-themed tarots and they are all different. Likewise, there are multiple versions of fairy, magic, witch, animal, Steampunk, and even Alice-based decks. There is room in the world for all of them because tarot is generative and each incarnation shows us something different.

The Alice stories are read by many, whether they know it or now, as sacred texts. In fact, in this book, we will, for brevity’s sake, often refer to the Alice stories as “the text.” The stories are filled with so much symbolism and playfulness and enough questions to allow space for expansion. That expansion can go in so many directions. People view the books through various lenses: psychological, mathematical, logical, political, historical, biographical, and literary, just to name a few. This is similar to tarot because different readers work with the cards from psychological, spiritual, therapeutic, or psychic approaches. Further, if you consider all the movies, plays, spin offs, books, and comics that are based on or inspired by Carroll’s work, we have to admit that the Alice stories are certainly generative.
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V, The Hierophant
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Through the Looking Glass
These days, The Hierophant is one of the most disliked cards in tarot. That is because people have too narrow a view of The Hierophant because traditional imagery shows this character as a Roman Catholic Pope. The Pope is just manifestation of the spiritual, ethical, or philosophical teacher archetype, which is what this card really is. The Hierophant, regardless of the specific image used to illustrate this card, represents the underlying belief system that guides our behaviors and actions. Different versions of this archetype…a Catholic Pope, an evangelical pastor, a popular philosopher, a self-help guru, a motivational teacher…all share a similar quality: they suggest a possible way that the world works. Once you understand your own beliefs, then you can measure all your decisions, actions, words, and goals against that worldview. The Hierophant as a card doesn’t so much represent how to think as to the importance about what you think. What you accept as the “truth” about the world determines your behavior. When our behavior is at odds with our beliefs, we suffer severe emotional, spiritual, and psychological (and sometimes physical) distress.

The Cheshire Cat explains to Alice how Wonderland “works” and about the importance of knowing one’s goals. Some of the most famous lines (and there are so many) from the Alice stories are:

The Cheshire Cat gives an explanation that hinges on the idea that no one knows what is real and what is false. When his remarks are pushed further by philosophers and other great thinkers (as so much in the Alice stories has been), discussions include the inability to know for certain whether one is in a dream while one is in the dream. Likewise, when one is “mad” or what we would call suffering from mental illness is it possible to know that one is in a state of insanity? The idea of madness continues with the Mad Hatter and March Hare. I’ve heard that a basic definition of madness is when what is in our heads doesn’t match what is outside our heads, or what some call reality. To be in good mental, emotional, and spiritual health, our internal lives (our beliefs) must match our external lives (our actions).

Alice asks for directions, but has no destination in mind. The Cat responds with “then it doesn’t matter which way you go.” This echoes wisdom from the Talmud that says “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” If you have no goals, no intentions guiding your path, then what you do doesn’t matter. The Cat and the Talmud don’t mean goals like “make six figures” or “start a successful business,” at least not as ends in themselves. We are talking about core beliefs, about why we are here, and about what we believe we are meant to do.

Down the Rabbit Hole
In a reading, The Hierophant invites us to examine our actions and measure them against our beliefs. If they are lining up but things are still feeling wrong, then perhaps it is time to re-examine our guiding principles. If there is a gap between the ways in which we behave and what we claim to believe, then it is time to tighten up that space and start being the people that we aspire to be. When we are confused about which path to take or which way to go, we often turn to the cards for guidance. This card says that you need no outside advice but instead, but instead to do that which in your heart of heart you know to be the right thing.

In publishing, things happen happen far in advance. For example, I just turned in the text for the 2019 Tarot Calendar. Sometimes it is easy to forget about projects because they are awaiting publication while you work on the next project. But there are two that I have not forgotten and have been waiting to tell you about.

But today isn't exactly that day. Instead of telling all about them, I'll just give a little sneak peek.

Both of these projects are very near and dear to my heart. I hope you find them interesting. The pictures are clickable (to Amazon and you can pre-order).